UniBank Blackstone River Valley
Greenway Challenge Charitable Recipient

 

Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone selected as 2010 Charitable Recipient

 

The UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Steering Committee is pleased to announce the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone as the 2010 Charitable Recipient. The Steering Committee recognizes the positive impacts to the Blackstone River and the region that are a direct result of the efforts of the individual members and the BRWC/FOB as a whole.  “We recognize the work the BRWC/FOB does through their own efforts to restore the Blackstone River to its original beauty through ecological actions programs and through collaboration with other Blackstone Valley community groups” stated Steering Committee Chair Charles Thompson.

The mission of the selected organization must be compatible to that of the UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge, which is to promote the recreational opportunities in the Blackstone River Valley. Working with partner organizations, the Greenway Challenge supports clean water campaigns, hiking and biking trails, wildlife projects, environmental education and development of waterway access. The BRWC/FOB’s mission matches the Greenway Challenge’s mission well. The selection committee also felt that based on the past success of the efforts of the BRWC/FOB, the award money will enable future progress made by the group, its members and its partners.

Upon receiving the news of receiving the Charitable Recipient award, Joe Pailthrope, Treasurer of the Council said,  “ The Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone is extremely honored and pleased to be chosen as the 2010 UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Charitable Recipient.  Our council spends thousands of hours every year keeping the Rhode Island Blackstone River clean and safe for all citizens to enjoy.  The Greenway Challenge is a diverse and wonderful display of recreation we have always enthusiastically supported.”

In 2005, the Blackstone River Watershed Council and the Friends of the Blackstone, Inc. merged into a single larger group in order to leverage the strengths and broader reach of both organizations.   The non-profit, volunteer corporation devotes its resources and efforts to the restoration and continuous preservation of the Blackstone River.  Programs include; river education, river restoration including water quality monitoring and cleanup events, fish passage and river recreation.  These programs are carefully crafted with the protection, preservation and enhancement of the natural habitat of local river wildlife and creating recreational programs for local residents and visitors to enjoy as a goal.

Recent projects of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone include; the 14th Annual River Fest 2010 Canoe and Kayak Race held in Woonsocket Rhode Island, the installation of the signage and buoy system at the Pratt Dam in Cumberland Rhode Island, completed design work for the Broad Street Fish ladder and raised funding for two more, hosted and participated in numerous cleanup efforts and continued water quality efforts.  In the past ten years that group has removed 25,000 old tires in the Blackstone River and along its banks and has even assisted the Rhode Island State Police in retrieving old cars from the river.

For more information, visit www.greenwaychallenge.org or contact Event Coordinator, Barbara Dixon, UniBank Greenway Challenge Request, One Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895. Barbara may be reached at 401-762-0250 ext. 30.#      

Past Charitable Recipients

Past Recipients


2005 Charitable Recipient

2006 Charitable Recipient
2007 Charitable Recipient

2008 Charitable Recipient

2009 Charitable Recipient